DNA sequencing technologies developed over the last decade have revolutionized the biological sciences, e.g. Lerner et al, The Auk, 127: 4-15 (2010); Metzker, Nature Review Genetics, 11: 31-46 (2010); Holt et al, Genome Research, 18: 839-846 (2008); and have the potential to revolutionize many aspects of medical practice, e.g. Voelkerding et al, Clinical Chemistry, 55: 641-658 (2009); Anderson et al, Genes, 1: 38-69 (2010); Freeman et al, Genome Research, 19: 1817-1824 (2009); Tucker et al, Am. J. Human Genet., 85: 142-154 (2009). However, to realize such potential there are still a host of challenges that must be addressed, including reduction of per-run sequencing cost, simplification of sample preparation, reduction of run time, increasing read lengths, improving data analysis, and the like, e.g. Baker, Nature Methods, 7: 495-498 (2010); Kircher et al, Bioessays, 32: 524-536 (2010); Turner et al, Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics, 10: 263-284 (2009). Single molecule sequencing using nanopores may address some of these challenges, e.g., Maitra et al, Electrophoresis, 33: 3418-3428 (2012); Venkatesan et al, Nature Nanotechnology, 6: 615-624 (2011); however, this approach has its own set of technical difficulties, such as, reliable nanopore fabrication, control of DNA translocation rates, nucleotide discrimination, detection of electrical signals from large arrays of nanopore sensors, and the like, e.g. Branton et al, Nature Biotechnology, 26(10): 1146-1153 (2008); Venkatesan et al (cited above).
Optical detection of nucleotides has been proposed as a potential solution to some of the technical difficulties in the field of nanopore sequencing, e.g. Huber, U.S. Pat. No. 8,771,491; Russell, U.S. Pat. No. 6,528,258; Pittaro, U.S. patent publication 2005/0095599; Joyce, U.S. patent publication 2006/0019259; Chan, U.S. Pat. No. 6,355,420; McNally et al, Nano Lett., 10(6): 2237-2244 (2010); and the like. However, optically-based nanopore sequencing has not been realized for a variety of reasons, including the lack of suitable fabrication techniques and understanding of how elements of such systems interact.
In view of the above, it would be advantageous to nanopore sensor technology in general and its particular applications, such as optically based nanopore sequencing, if there were available materials and configurations of optical elements that permitted successful optical sensing and analysis of analytes, such as sequences of nucleic acids.